


It Lies Behind Stars and Under Hills

by Orlaith



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M, Flashbacks, Force Bond, Post Starkiller Base, Young Reylo AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-07-11 07:00:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7034797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orlaith/pseuds/Orlaith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Why are you angry?" the girl innocently asked. Ben's pure rage seemed to have calmed somewhat at the sight of his friend and had turned into an intense annoyance, which still ended up directed at the nearest person, which happened to be Rey. "Get lost," the fifteen year-old snapped. "I don't need some kid poking around in my business." (previously called "Hope Has Flown Away")</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. That Which Disturbs No One But I

" **A riddle:**

It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,

Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.

It lies behind stars and under hills,

And empty holes it fills.

It comes first and follows after,

Ends life, kills laughter.

**The answer:**

Darkness."

\- Bilbo Baggins, _The Hobbit_

* * *

 

Rey sat under a willow tree, her eyes closed and her breathing steady. The six-year-old padawan was desperately trying to clear her mind, so she could lift the pebbles at her feet. Her only issue was the noise that kept drifting through the tree’s branches, distracting her meditation. The young girl took a deep breath and tried, once again, to focus her thoughts on lifting the pebbles. Her eyes closed, and, not long after, she felt energy flowing rapidly through her. Eyes flying open, Rey let out a sound jubilation as she saw the smooth stones hovering at varying heights around her. She concentrated her energy further, causing the rocks to start spinning around her head.

No sooner had she thought that being a Jedi might not be so hard, then a loud crashing filled her ears. Rey cried out in pain as one of the stones hit her in the forehead. She leapt up from the ground and pushed through the branches, looking for the source of the noise.

A loud, masculine roar came from behind Rey, and she whirled around so fast her head spun. Crouched at the bottom of the wall of the makeshift Jedi Academy, was Luke’s oldest padawan, his nephew, and Rey’s best friend, Ben Solo. His long, dark hair was hanging in front of his face and curling at the nape of his neck from sweat. As Rey slowly approached her friend, he sensed her presence and his eyes snapped up to meet hers. Rey almost stumbled back at the intense ferocity and untamed rage in the dark eyes that connected with hers. She was not used to seeing such hatred in Ben’s eyes, let alone have it directed at her.

This boy was nine years older than her, and he possessed incredible strength physically and in the Force. He could easily kill her if he wanted to, but Rey wasn’t afraid of him and tried keep faith in him as she cautiously approached him. Rey clasped her hands behind her and rocked back on her heels.

“Why are you angry?” the girl innocently asked. Ben’s pure rage seemed to have calmed somewhat at the sight of his friend and had turned into an intense annoyance, which still ended up directed at the nearest person, which happened to be Rey.

“Get lost,” the fifteen year-old snapped. “I don’t need some kid poking around in my business.”

Rey bit her lip, trying hard to keep from letting him see he was hurting her feelings. “Ben?” she queried quietly. Ben’s brows furrowed, but Rey could see the armor he had attempted to build slipping. His voice was gentler when he spoke again.

“Please, Rey,” he begged. “You need to get away from me.” His head fell to rest on his knees. The young padawan was tense, and Rey could sense that he was more saddened than angry. She slowly slid to her knees in front of Ben. Holding her breath, Rey reached out and grabbed one of the boy’s large hands and clasped it between her two small ones.

“Ben,” she began, “what’s wrong? I can help.” Ben looked up at her again, and Rey was shocked to see tears staining his cheeks. A wry chuckle escaped from between Ben’s lips.

“That’s a nice thought, kid, but I don’t think there’s anything you can do.” He sighed. “I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do.” Rey’s eyebrows furrowed and she grasped Ben’s hand tighter.

“That’s not true, Benjamin Anakin Solo.” Ben’s eyebrows shot up at Rey’s use of his full name. “You know I can help, but you just don’t want me to. You want to pout and be mysterious and moody. Well, I’m not going to let you.” She sought his gaze with her own. When Ben’s dark eyes met her hazel ones, their Force signatures merged. Fear, anger, and self hatred washed over Rey in an almost suffocating wave of emotions. _You must do it, Kylo Ren. You know you must._ The voice that echoed through Rey’s mind was not Ben’s, but she delved deeper looking for answers. She saw an image of Ben meditating, pieces of different metals and a cracked red crystal coming together in front of him to create … a lightsaber?

“ _Enough_.” The word pounded into her head as she heard it in the physical world and as it echoed across her bond with Ben. She was violently thrown from his mind, and Rey cried out in protest. “Enough,” Ben repeated. “You must promise me, Rey, never to look inside my mind again.” His grip on her wrist tightened painfully, and it was only then that she realized he had been gripping them at all. “ _Promise me_ ,” he yelled.

Tears stung Rey’s eyes. “You’re hurting me, Ben,” she yelled back. Ben immediately let go and stumbled back, putting as much distance as he could between them. She could feel his regret through their bond, when it suddenly vanished. Hazel eyes widened, desperately searching for answers in black ones. “Did you just close our bond,” she demanded.

Ben turned his face away, throwing it into shadow. “It’s for your safety, Rey. Please understand that.” His voice dropped, and it was almost as if he wasn’t talking to Rey anymore. “You _must_ understand that.” Loud screams yanked them both out of their daze. A group of younglings came running around the corner throwing a ball back and forth. As they passed the pair of apprentices, Ben noticeably flinched. It wasn’t until they were out of sight that Rey spoke again.

“Ben, you can’t close this bond. It’s too precious to be turned on and off like a tap.” The wind blowing through the trees and the distant yelling of the younglings was all that could be heard. Rey felt Ben’s apology before he said it as their connection was opened again. “Thank you.” Ben was leaning against the wall again, and Rey shifted so that she was sitting next to him. He gazed down at her and gave a small chuckle, reaching out to ruffle her short hair.

“Sometime I forget how young you are. You are too wise for your age.” Rey grinned playfully back at him.

“Not nearly as wise as you,” she stated simply. What there had been of a smile on Ben’s face disappeared at Rey’s statement, along with all the light in his eyes. He shut his eyes, and Rey rested her head on his shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. His body lost some of its tension at the contact, but his eyes remained squeezed shut. Rey closed her eyes as well, deciding to stay and comfort her friend as long as was necessary, even if that meant sleeping out here.

“I’m not wise, kid,” he argued. “Not by a long shot.” Rey sought out his hand with hers, and, when she found it, she grasped it as though she would never let go.

“Yes, you are,” she said. Sighing through her nose, the small girl relaxed onto the forearm of her friend. “You may not always make the right decisions to start with,” Ben’s muscles tightened, “but,” she continued, “you always come around at the end.” As Ben relaxed again, the two sat there for an indeterminable amount of time, leaning on each other and knowing the other would keep them up. Rey was almost asleep, and her mind was empty when she heard an almost imperceptible, quiet thought.

 _I wish you didn’t have so much faith in me._ When Rey would wake up late the next morning in her own bed and have to rush to pull on her training clothes and tie her hair up, she would not remember that thought. Even the conversation would only be remembered as a dream she could barely grasp, and that was the way Ben Solo wanted it to be.

That was the way he _needed_ it to be.


	2. The Dark and Twisted Path

Ben knelt on the floor, the Supreme Leader’s voice filling his mind.

_ You must do it, and it must be tonight. _

“But, Supreme Leader,” Ben argued, “am I ready?”

_ If not now, when? _ Ben clenched his jaw and tilted his head up.

“Of course, Supreme Leader. I will not fail.”

_ Let us hope not. _ With that the voice was gone, and Ben Solo was left kneeling on the ground with a new task before him. He had to destroy everything Ben Solo stood for. He had to truly become Kylo Ren, as the Supreme Leader called him. That included leaving nothing left of this life he had. It meant tearing down everything his uncle had built and leaving Luke alone in the ruins of it.

Ben stood up and pulled his beige hood over his black curls, throwing his face into deep shadows. The lowlights made his sunken cheeks and the bags under his eyes even more prominent. Tucking the lightsaber into his belt, Ben stepped out of his room into the hallway, eyes dull and unfocused. A small boy ran out of his room and into the hall, a grin splitting his face.

“Ben,” he exclaimed, face lighting up even more. “Are you still gonna help me with combat training tomorrow?”

_ Alec _ , Ben thought to himself.  _ His name is Alec _ . When Ben didn’t answer, Alec’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Ben,” he asked, “are you okay?” Ben almost cried as he felt a weight pressing down on his thoughts.

_ Do it. Kill the boy. You have to kill them all. Why not start with this one _ , queried the distinct voice in his head that sounded nothing like himself.

_ I’ve known him since he came here. He’s just a little kid. I can’t possibly kill him _ , argued his own voice. But his voice was weak and could barely be heard over the other voice, let alone cover it up.

Snoke’s voice rang in his mind.  _ Kill him _ . Kylo Ren reached into his belt and pulled his shoddily made lightsaber out of his belt. He pressed the button on the side, and a red beam of light shot out from it, buzzing and casting the hallway into an ominous light. The boy’s eyes widened.

“Ben, what are you doing?” The boy looked as if he was about to cry. Kylo Ren could feel thoughts coming off of him, and one thought intruded into his mind. The boy kept repeating,  _ A Jedi feels no fear _ , as though it were his mantra. Kylo Ren pulled his hood down and crouched down, so he was on the boy’s level.

“My name isn’t Ben,” he said. “It’s Kylo Ren now.” He looked down at his lightsaber, rolling it in his hand. “And I need your help with something. It’s something I don’t think I can do alone. Can you help me, Alec?”

The little boy nodded, even though his eyes were filled with terror. “Of course,” he said simply. Kylo smiled, a dark, twisted smile.

“Good.” The lightsaber spun through the air and buried itself in small boy’s chest. His face froze in a look of shock as the lightsaber retracted, and the body sank to the floor.

It was almost as if he went on autopilot at that point. Ben Solo ceased existing and Kylo Ren took his place, slaughtering every youngling that crossed his path. First was Alec, who had always wanted to train with Ben. After him came the two sisters that always argued over who would become a Jedi Master first. Now neither of them would. Then it was the girl named Attica who had come from Dagobah and always showed everyone her letters from her brother at least five times.

Markus. Zih. The twins, Lon and Kain. Sangha. Celessa. Acacia.

He continued hacking and cutting down all of them, until there was only one left. The cold, bitter wind slapped Kylo Ren’s face as he stepped out of the building cut into the side of the mountain. Dark curls covered his sight, but he stalked from the building, his feet trodding a well-worn and well-known path up the side of the mountain. Almost to the top of the mountain, Ben suddenly stopped feeling as though a cold hand was reaching into his chest and clenching his heart. Finding it difficult to breath, Ben shook his head trying to find some grip on reality. The weight of what he had done came crashing down on his shoulders.

_ I just killed children _ , he thought.  _ Innocent children are dead because of me.  _ His eyes quickly darted up to the cave at the top of the climb where he knew Rey stayed until the early hours of the morning. He had been climbing the mountain with every intention of finishing the job he had started, killing this one last youngling and leaving Luke with the guilt of knowing he had failed Kylo Ren.

But Kylo Ren had disappeared as suddenly as he had come, and he left Ben Solo standing in the cold wind, a crackling lightsaber in his hand and a heavy weight in his heart.

_ I cannot kill my best friend _ , he told himself. The red lightsaber powered down, and the night was plunged into inky-black darkness. He pulled his hood down, hands shaking, and continued his climb. As the cave came into sight, he noticed a low light burning inside. Pushing aside the low hanging moss at the entrance, he ducked inside and saw his friend sitting on the floor. A small fire was burning in a circle of rocks, and Rey was slowly, but steadily, moving twigs one by one onto the flames.

Except she was doing it with the Force.

Noticing Ben out of the corner of her eye, the small girl’s concentration broke causing the twigs to fall to the ground, but Ben felt a rush of pride at seeing how powerful his best friend was at such a young age. The feeling was brief though as Ben remembered why he had been coming here in the first place. Luke would find out what had happened soon enough if he hadn’t already, and he would know that Rey was up here and that Ben most certainly was as well. Rey smiled up at Ben, and he had to be amazed. Despite everything that had just happened, despite what Ben had just been the cause of, this girl’s smile still had to power to make Ben smile back.

As he did just that, Rey stood up. “Did you see what I just did, Ben?” she asked excitedly.

Ben nodded, still smiling. “Yes, I did, Rey.” His voice cracked as he spoke her name. She noticed and raised her eyebrows but said nothing. She simply smiled and grabbed Ben’s hand, pulling him over to sit next to her. Grinning, she held up a fistful of blue and purple flowers. She hurried to her feet and stood behind Ben.

“You’re going to look so pretty,” she exclaimed. As she weaved the flowers into Ben’s hair, a lump formed in his throat. He knew that if he valued his life, he would have to kill Rey, but the thought of killing his one friend, the one person who understood him like his family never could, made him feel sick. He also knew that he couldn’t just take Rey away from here and hope that Snoke wouldn’t find her. Rey continued chattering on about how she had come here to practice her meditation and ended up lifting objects successfully and repeatedly for the first time since she’d learned of the Force. She told Ben that she couldn’t wait for tomorrow. Ben had neither the investment in the conversation nor the energy to ask Rey what she meant.

“Rey,” he interrupted the girl, midsentence.

As she weaved the last flower into his hair, she sat down in front of him and looked up at him with wide, hazel eyes. “Yes?” she asked. Ben took a deep breath, the weight pressing on his chest again.

“I’ve done something… very bad, Rey,” he admitted. Rey’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What do you mean?”

Ben ignored her. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to come back from this,” he swallowed past the lump in his throat, “but it’s going to get worse.” Without asking for specifics, without demanding that he explain himself, Rey grabbed his hands.

“It doesn’t have to, Ben. I promise it doesn’t.” Suddenly angry, Ben yanked his hand out of her grasp.

“Of course it does. I don’t have a choice any more!”

“Yes, you do, Ben!” Rey yelled at him, and he was taken aback by her anger. It was so rare that the young, bright girl ever got mad. “You always have a choice, and don’t you dare ever say otherwise!” Ben shook his head.

“I’m glad you’re so optimistic.” He stood up, and Rey scrambled to follow suit. “Please, don’t ever lose that.” Rey’s hazel eyes blazed with pure fire, but it wasn’t the reflection from the flames on the ground. These were of her own creation and always burned deep within her. The girl had passion, there was no doubt about that, and she would always do what was right. At least, that was what Ben hoped.

“What do you mean?” Rey asked, her voice deathly quiet. Ben crouched down, so he was eye-level with her. Some of the fire tamed in her eyes, but he could see that she was trying to stay mad at him. That made him even more certain of what he had to do. Reaching out, he grabbed Rey’s small hands inside his own.

“You have to let go of the hate, Rey. One day, you will remember this, and if you don’t remember every detail, at least remember this: You cannot,” his voice broke, “You cannot go down this path that I am on. It is dark and twisted, and I can’t see the end… If there is one,” he added as an afterthought. “But there is no going back on it. The path is overgrown behind me, and it would take a blazing fire to burn it down and bring me back.” Rey’s eyes burned as he continued talking. “Always forgive, but never forget. Second chances are not a sign of a fool but of wisdom. And the ‘right choice’ is called that for a reason. It’s harder to choose and more difficult to follow through, but it is  _ right _ . Rey,” He reached up, placing his palm on her cheek. He knew what he had to do, though he did not want to.

“My little Rey of sunlight. Never let your light burn out.” He finished his speech and forced Rey to make eye contact with him. The hand that was on her cheek moved in front of her face, and he waved it once. Ben quickly snaked his arm behind her to catch her as she fell backwards in a dead faint. Though she was small, she was compactly built and weighed more than Ben had been expecting. He carried her out of the cave and climbed the rest of the way to the top where the ships were. Finding a smallish freighter with controls similar enough to the  _ Falcon _ , Ben loaded his precious cargo.

He picked a desolate planet far away from Ach-To and hoped it was remote enough that Snoke would never think anything of it, if he ever found out Rey had escaped. Ben’s blood pounded in his ears.  _ Escaped _ . That was exactly what he had helped Rey to do, even though he had known Snoke wouldn’t approve. It was directly against the orders he had been given, but he found he didn’t care. Not when it came to Rey.

As Ben programmed the coordinates into ship for Jakku, he switched on the autopilot and made sure he wouldn’t have to make any changes for awhile. When that was situated, he settled down on the floor next to the bunk he had place Rey on. The girl looked even smaller in sleep, if that was possible. Ben closed his eyes, focusing on clearing his mind and counting his breaths. He entered a meditative trance and quickly delved into Rey’s mind.

The young man spent the rest of the trip to Jakku sifting through each of her memories. Any about himself or Luke or the Jedi Academy or the Force he hid in the very back of her mind. Others about her family or friends or life before the Academy, he simply blurred. They weren’t gone, just harder to obtain detail from, and that would keep her safe. Though the smartest thing would be to just destroy all the memories of her powers and anything connected to them, so there would never be a risk of her finding out, but Ben couldn’t bring himself to do that to her. He finished right before they arrived at Jakku.

Ben carried Rey out of the ship and into the fierce, hot winds of the desert. Her staff was strapped to her back, and he had packed a bag with at least a month’s worth of hydration and sustenance tablets. She would able to fend for herself until she learned how this world worked. He laid her down on the sand and impulsively reached out and kissed her forehead.

Ben knew he would miss this little girl who was always so optimistic and weaved flowers into his hair. He also knew that if he didn’t leave now he never would, so he turned back to the ship. Stopping in his tracks, Ben remembered something. He reached out to Rey’s mind, searching for her Force signature. He found it quickly, as he knew it as well as, if not better than, his own. Feeling his heart constrict, he severed the connection between their Force signatures.

_ You can always reforge it in the future _ , part of him said.

_ If I’m going to be a Sith, why would I need a Force bond with a would-be Jedi _ , the other part argued. He continued onto the ship, angry at himself for no reason other than being who he was. As soon as he took off, he saw Rey rousing herself and jumping to her feet, waving her arms back and forth. Ben quickly looked away.

As he left the gravitational pull of the planet, he closed his eyes and reached out for the Supreme Leader’s Force signature.

_ Supreme Leader _ , he called into the ether,  _ It is done. Let me come to you now. _ Kylo Ren felt Snoke’s satisfaction through the Force, and he could almost hear the chuckle in his voice.

_ Come, my boy. Seek me through the Force, and you will find your way. _ Kylo Ren began steering the ship with no specific destination other than towards the Supreme Leader.

_ Come _ , Snoke continued.  _ Come, and take your rightful place in the Dark Side. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright these first chapters were much longer than I anticipated, but I just got caught up in baby Reylo. The next chapter will start post Starkiller.  
> As always, I'd love to know what you guys think!


	3. The Devil's Finest Trick

**17 years later**

 

The sea was sparkling a deep, blue beneath the cliffs. The rocks that jutted out from the mountain were rough and were a contradiction in and of themselves. The mountain was steadfast and unmoving, but the uneven rocks seemed as though they were unstable and could fall into the sea below at any moment. A couple stood on one of these such outcroppings, one with a hood pulled over his head and a beard on his face, the other with a staff on her back and a lightsaber in her outstretched hand.

Luke Skywalker turned to the girl he sensed through the Force and pulled down his hood. Rey stared into the blue eyes that reflected the color of the sky, hoping to find something there, though she didn’t know what exactly she was looking for.

“I believe this is yours,” the young scavenger said. Luke’s eyes flicked down to the weapon in her hand.

“What is your name?” The Jedi Master asked, making no move to take the weapon or come any closer to her.

“Rey,” she said, never taking her eyes off the man, “My name is Rey. I lived my whole life on Jakku until very recently. I met a rogue Stormtrooper by the name of Finn, and, along with him, the pilot Poe Dameron, a BB-8 unit, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and a wookie, we destroyed the First Order’s weapon of mass destruction known as Starkiller Base. When I was captured by a man who called himself Kylo Ren, I learned that I had powers in the Force. Leia Organa gave me the map to this island and told me I must train with you.” She took a breath. “That is a very brief summary of the events that brought me here.”

Something flared up in Luke’s eyes as she told her story, but, before she could decipher what it was, it was gone. As though to cover it up, he quickly reached out and grabbed the weapon from her hand. Rey instinctively moved back, and her hand flew to her staff. Luke made a sound low in his throat, and Rey’s eyebrows furrowed before she realized that he was laughing. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stared defensively at the older man.

“Forgive me,” Luke apologized. “I meant no harm and certainly did not mean to frighten you.” He looked down at the lightsaber in his hand, and he rolled it between his hands. “It has been a long time since I have seen this lightsaber.” He powered up the weapon, and a blue light shot out. Rey couldn’t tell whether his eyes were the same as the lightsaber or if she was just seeing a reflection. She cleared her throat.

“I need your help,” Rey began cautiously. “I have no knowledge of the Force.” Luke looked back up at her, that light in his eyes returning. He powered down the weapon and tucked it into his belt. Rey continued, “I have no memory of my life before I was left on Jakku when I was six except for vague memories of a mother and father and… possibly an older brother I spent time with. I’m not sure,” she shook her head. “It’s all very unclear.”

“If you are to train with me,” Luke began, “I can help with that. There are ways to bring back memories that have been repressed or forgotten.” His forehead creased, and he opened his mouth as if he was going to add more but decided against it. “Why are you here?” Rey opened her mouth to repeat the speech she had given earlier, but Luke raised a hand, cutting her off. “You have told me the events that lead you here and why you felt you had to, but you have not told me why.” His blue eyes were analytical and unreadable. “Why do you want to train in the ways of the Force?”

Rey thought about this before she spoke. She knew that she had powers, and, if Kylo Ren’s reaction to her was anything to go on, she had more power than most. It would be safer for herself, and everyone around her, if she knew how to control those powers.

But something was nagging at the back of her mind, a memory that wasn’t exactly a memory but more of an urge. Some inexplicable compulsion driving her to learn about this mysterious power that surrounded the Galaxy. A specific memory suddenly flooded her mind.

 

_ Rey was standing on a cliff very similar to the one she was on now. Wind whipped her loose hair into her face, and a tall man with a kind face was holding her hand. His eyes reflected the color of the sky as he spoke to a man standing before them. Rey turned, and a much younger Luke without lines on his face was smiling down at her. _

_ “Yes, I think young Rey will fit in very nicely here.” A small but confident looking woman with the same eyes as Rey sighed and smiled at Luke. _

_ “We’re glad to hear it. Ever since Rey was born, we were almost certain she had the same powers as her great-uncle, and I have to say,” she lowered her voice, “we were very concerned, considering what happened to him. But, I know he trusted and cared for you, so we know Rey is in good hands.” _

_ Luke nodded. “Of course she will be.” The woman crouched down, pulling Rey to her chest. _

_ “I’ll miss you, Rey.” The man knelt next to them, wrapping them both in his arms. “We’ll visit soon.” As they pulled away, Rey grinned. _

_ “Goodbye, Mother,” she said. “Goodbye, Father. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be perfectly fine.” At this exact moment, an older boy with shaggy hair and wild eyes ran up to the group. _

_ “Luke,” he rushed out, “I just Force levitated one of the dining tables without dropping it!” Luke gave him a stern look. _

_ “Nothing is broken, I hope?” The boy shook his head. _

_ “Of course not, Uncle.” He suddenly noticed Rey. “Who is  _ she _?!” Rey placed her hands on her hips and raised her chin. _

_ “My name is Rey, and I am going to be the best Jedi there ever was.” _

_ The boy laughed. “If you say so!” Rey’s eyebrows furrowed, and her lips pouted. _

_ “It’s true,” she exclaimed. The boy scoffed. _

_ “If anything, you’ll be second because I’m older, so I’ll get there first.” He dashed forward and ruffled Rey’s hair, to her discontent. He ran off, yelling, “Bye, little Jedi girl,” over his shoulder. _

 

The memory was gone as quickly as it had come, and Rey was once again standing in front of an older Luke on a cliff. She took a deep breath.

“It’s because I have to be a Jedi.” Luke looked as if he was going to say something, but Rey rushed on. “You are the only left. The First Order is raging on, and there is no one to stop it except the Resistance. There is only so much a band of rebel fighters and one secluded Jedi can do to save the Galaxy.” She grinned. “You’re going to need some help.”

* * *

 

Rey pressed down a button over her head and gripped the steering mechanism tighter. Three months had passed since she arrived at Ach-To and found Luke. The pair had trained relentlessly for those few months, Luke desperate to teach Rey as much as he could in the time they had. After three months, Leia Organa had sent Luke a message through the Force saying that she needed him on Takodana, “his ridiculous seclusion be damned”. He and Rey had quickly packed the  _ Millennium Falcon _ with supplies and left Ach-To. On their journey to Takodana, Luke told Rey that there was only one certain way to defeat the First Order: to save Ben Solo.

 

_ “But isn’t he gone?” Rey argued. “When I met him, he was Kylo Ren. And he only reinforced that when he-” Rey stopped herself. _

_ “When he killed Han Solo, yes.” Luke’s eyes became sad when he spoke of his friend. “I know. But that was Kylo Ren, and we have to believe that Ben Solo is still somewhere inside of him.” _

 

Rey huffed and shook her head. After what she had seen Kylo Ren do to Han Solo, she had no desire to try and save him, but Luke had given her a mission, and she couldn’t argue with her master. The filtered voice of a stormtrooper crackled over the com-unit of the  _ Falcon _ .

“State your name and business in this area.” Rey knew there was no point in lying. She was certain Kylo Ren knew she was aboard the ship, and she was planning on getting captured anyway.

“My name is Rey, and I am here to speak to Kylo Ren,” she stated. Her voice was surprisingly steady for how frightened she was. There was a pregnant pause over the com-unit. All Rey could hear was the blood pounding in her ears. She worried, for a moment, that they would hear it over the com-unit. After what felt like an eternity, the stormtrooper came back over the radio.

“Please enter Hangar 243.” Rey breathed a sigh of relief, though she wasn’t sure why. She was about to risk being taken prisoner, all for Luke’s biased belief that Ben Solo could be saved.

_ I’m not sure I want to save Ben Solo,  _ Rey thought to herself. Han Solo had treated her well, and, though she would never admit it to Kylo Ren, she  _ had _ hoped he would be the father she never had. Or at least replace the one she couldn’t remember. She felt the faint ghost of a memory of a large, masculine hand holding hers.

Rey steered the  _ Falcon _ into the Hangar. As the ship connected with the metal floor, the whole freighter rocked. Rey cringed as she imagined the only partially angry remarks Han would have spit in her direction if he had been there. She shook her head trying to clear it of those thoughts before she encountered Kylo Ren. Steeling herself for the task ahead, Rey strapped her staff to her back and took a deep breath. Before she walked off the ship, she touched the control panel by the exit.

“I will be back.” Rey wasn’t sure herself who she was talking to. She only knew that she had to speak the promise aloud for it to be true, and it  _ would _ be true.

Almost as soon as she was off the ship, four stormtroopers boxed her in. Other soldiers bustled around the hangar, running errands and fixing ships. The uniformity of the entire station frightened Rey. She hadn’t noticed on Starkiller Base because she had been too busy trying to escape. Every soldier looked the same, walked the same, spoke the same. Rey finally began to understand how the First Order had risen to power so quickly. For a people frightened of chaos, this may seem like an convenient alternative to their current government. The thought filled Rey with outrage. She couldn’t grasp why a people would give up all freedom for a little security.

The trooper to her right suddenly began speaking.

“We will take you to General Hux now.” For a moment, Rey panicked. She knew very little of General Hux, and she worried that if he was the one who spoke to her first, she would never get a chance to see Kylo Ren and fulfill her mission.

Speaking in a voice that sounded far braver than she was feeling, Rey said, “I am here to see Kylo Ren.” A sharp and cutting voice with an Arkanian accent sounded behind her.

“Kylo Ren?” General Hux appeared in Rey’s line of sight, and he let out a barking laugh. “You’ll see no such thing. After you tricked Ren into letting you escape, I highly doubt the Supreme Leader will let you two anywhere near each other. Come now,” the general roughly grabbed Rey’s arm and began pulling her down the hallway the four stormtroopers still surrounding them, “you will be placed in a holding cell until the Supreme Leader arrives and can interrogate you himself.”

Panic began to take control of Rey. Her throat tightened up, and her heart began to race. If she could not speak to Kylo Ren, the entire mission would be for nothing. Her thoughts flying, Rey frantically tried to think of what she could do. She tried taking meditative breaths like Master Luke had taught her, and, for a second, she thought they would work, but then they approached the cell.

As a stormtrooper stepped forward to unlock the door, Rey’s eye caught sight of the blaster at another trooper’s belt. Quickly checking to make sure Hux had no weapon of his own, she lunged forward and grabbed the blaster.

In less than a second, the weapon was charged, aimed at the general, and ready to fire. The stormtroopers who still had their weapons pulled them on Rey, but the scavenger just chuckled.

“They won’t shoot me.” A thin sheen of sweat had appeared of Hux’s forehead.

“Oh? What makes you think that?”

Rey shrugged. “I have no doubt of your importance,  _ General _ , but I think that, when it comes down to it, I am more valuable to Snoke than you are.”

Hux shook his head. “You want to test that theory?”

“Oh, I have no intention of shooting you unless I have to. I’m just confident that your trooper won’t shoot  _ me _ .” Rey slowly began to back away, still aiming the blaster at Hux. An idea suddenly crossed her mind, and Rey gathered up her power in the Force.

Pouring all her energy into her words, Rey said, “You will not let anyone know I have escaped you.”

Hux laughed. “Nice try, girl, but I will not be subject to your mind games.”

Rey furrowed her eyebrows and tried again. “You will not let anyone know I escaped you,” she repeated. “You will all walk into that cell and lock yourselves in.” Hux’s eyes seemed to become blurry.

“We will… walk into that cell?” Rey smirked.

“And you will lock yourselves in.”

The general and his four troopers did exactly as Rey commanded.

Once all five were in the cell, Rey strapped the blaster to her belt and ran back the way she came. As she turned down halls and ran up flights of stairs, she tried desperately to find some clue as to where Kylo Ren was.

A loud clunking noise came from the corridor to right, and Rey stopped herself as though she’d run into a wall. Quickly ducking into a small alcove to side, she pressed her body against the wall and tried to blend into the shadows. Two stormtroopers walked past her hiding spot, unaware she could hear their conversation.

“Haven’t heard any communication from Hux yet,” said the first.

“Yeah,” agreed the second. “He’s probably having his way with that girl.” Rey fought the urge to vomit. The trooper continued, “Anyway, the general said he has to report to Kylo Ren directly afterwards, so we are to meet him in that conference room on the fourth level.”

Rey launched herself out of the alcove, pulling her staff from her back and slicing it through the air. Her staff knocked the first stormtrooper in the head, and he instantly dropped to the ground. Whirling her staff around her head, she whacked the other trooper behind his knees. As he fell to his knees, his helmet flew off, and Rey quickly pushed him to the floor, her knee on his chest.

Holding her staff to his throat, Rey asked, “Where is this conference room on the fourth level?” The trooper’s eyes were full of terror.

“Why would I tell you?!”

Rey chuckled, “Because you don’t want to end up like your friend.” The man’s clear eyes flickered to where his partner lay, unconscious, on the floor. “I mean,” Rey continued, “it could easily be arranged.” She looked at the trooper behind her, then back to the one under her knee. “But I would prefer not to.”

The man wet his lips. “You’re that girl aren’t you?” Rey raised a questioning eyebrow. “The one Kylo Ren has been looking for since the first Starkiller Base.”

“Well if I am, I believe Kylo Ren would greatly appreciate you telling me where the conference room on the fourth level is.”

The man swallowed thickly. “Go to the end of this hallway then take the turbolift two levels up. It’s the room at the end of the hallway you’ll come out into.”

Rey smiled. “Greatly appreciated.” She swung her staff down, leaving the man unconscious. Strapping the staff to her back again, Rey turned and sprinted to the end of the hallway. She stepped onto the turbolift and pressed what she hoped was the correct button. As the glass case began moving upwards, she figured she had pressed the right one.

The lift slowed to a halt, and the doors slid open, revealing a long, black corridor. Rey hesitantly took a step forward, worried that something would pop out any moment. Searching the walls, she found another alcove that she quickly ducked into. Breathe in through the nose. Out through the mouth. Count each breath. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Rey’s body stayed where it was in the alcove, but her mind was searching the station, searching for a specific Force signature.

Though she hadn’t come into contact with the specific signature in months, it was a constant, slight pressure at the back of her mind. Rey had assumed that when she got closer to Kylo Ren, the pressure would be stronger. Instead, the pressure seemed to be lessening.

Assured of his presence on the base, Rey opened her eyes and left the alcove. Knowing that Kylo Ren was indeed here filled her with a new determination. The memory of Han Solo and her reluctance to save Kylo Ren tugged at her thoughts, but she pushed through. It was then that Rey realized it was not Kylo Ren she was trying to save: it was Ben Solo. Kylo Ren had killed Ben Solo along with the rest of Luke’s padawans, and it was Rey’s responsibility to bring Ben Solo back from the dead.

As she reached the door at the end of the hall and placed her hand on the doorknob, Rey steeled herself for the task ahead and threw open the door.

The conference room consisted of only a long black (like everything else on this station) table with chairs around it. At the far end sat Kylo Ren, mask and all, his hands folded on the table and looking like he had been waiting for Rey this whole time, and maybe he had been.

Rey’s eyes blazed with fire, and she had to fight herself not to grab the staff on her back and begin fighting this man. Kylo Ren slowly stood up. Rey tensed when his hands moved, but her enemy only chucked. His hands grabbed his mask, and a soft hissing noise sounded as he removed it from his head.

Three months time had not erased the man’s image from Rey’s mind, but she was still taken back by his appearance. It always shocked her to see that there was an actual man underneath the mask as opposed to the beast that had hunted her through the forests of Takodana. His full lips parted, and Kylo Ren began speaking to her.

“I see you found me.” His dark eyes were unreadable to Rey. “Though, I imagine it wasn’t hard for you. I didn’t expect it to be.” Rey was taken aback by this.

“You  _ wanted _ me to find you?” Rey asked incredulously.

Kylo Ren laughed. “Obviously. You weren’t exactly subtle.” He stalked towards her across the room, and Rey felt the panic of being chased once again. “No one purposely gets themselves kidnapped.”

“Maybe I’m just really stupid.”

A smile that was anything but friendly crossed Ren’s face. “No. You are many things, little scavenger girl, but you are not stupid. You are incredibly clever, so tell me; How did you find me?”

“I used a Jedi mind trick on General Hux. He locked himself in the cell that was meant for me. I also knocked a couple of your stormtroopers out. After that, it was child’s play finding your Force signature and tracking you here.” Something flashed in Kylo Ren’s eyes that was very different from his usually confident demeanor. The man walked quickly until he was standing right in front of Rey.

“You tracked my Force signature?” he demanded. “Nevermind. It is of no consequence. Why are you here?” Rey figured lying would be little use in this situation.

“I’m here to take you away.” Ren’s eyebrows raised, and his confident smirk returned.

“And how do you plan to do that? I am much stronger than you, and I don’t think you’ll be able to get past all those stormtroopers alone.” Rey felt a sudden surge of her own confidence.

“I won’t have to do that. You’re going to come willingly.”

“How do you figure?”

“I need a teacher.” The knight’s eyes widened. “I have been training with Luke Skywalker for months now, and his teaching has not been sufficient. I wish to learn more about the Force than he is willing to teach me” His eyebrows furrowed, but Rey pressed on. “You offered once to teach me.” A distant rumbling and flashes of red and blue light flooded Rey’s mind. “I’m here to cash in on the offer… if it still stands.”

Kylo Ren looked at her, skeptically. “How do I know you won’t kill me as soon as we leave the station.”

“You have my word.” Rey’s voice became stronger. “And I never go back on my word.” That something from before flashed in Kylo Ren’s eyes again, but it was gone before Rey could discern what it was.

“Well,” he began, “you drive a hard bargain, scavenger girl.”

Rey raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean you’ll come?”

Ren’s voice was quiet. “Yes,” he took a step closer to Rey. “I’ll come.”

As the Knight of Ren came closer, Rey’s whole body tensed. She stood in a fighter’s stance, but her fists remained clenched at her sides. The man standing in front of her towered over her, a dark pillar blotting out her field of vision. Everything in Rey was screaming to hurl herself at this man, to pull her lightsaber on him like he had pulled his on Han Solo, to hit him like he had hit Poe, to claw at him, to tear him apart.

_ Remember your mission _ , Rey chastised herself.  _ You have to bring him back. Rescue Ben Solo. _

Taking a deep breath, she looked Kylo Ren in the eye and did the last thing she expected of herself.

She smiled.

“Then let’s go.”


End file.
